Sunday, December 04, 2005

Udupi, Nov 11: The Director of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoepathy, Dr B N Prakash warned that stringent measures like withdrawal of licence would be initiated against those ayurvedic and homoepathy manufacturers who failed to comply with the government's recent guidelines of good manufacturing practices (GMP) which had become mandatory since 2003.

Addressing the ayurvedic manufacturers and ayurvedic medical practitioners from undivided Dakshina Kannada Bharatiya Vaidyara Sangha here, he said that since last three months, after he assuming the office of director he had withdrawn the licences of about six ayurvedic medicine manufacturing units in the state which have failed to follow the government guidelines.

However, whenever he had found lapses by the manufacturing units during his visit failing to comply with the GMP, the same units were brining political pressures against taking any actions. He cautioned that the government had already given one-year extension for implementation of GMP guidelines till 2003 and no more extension could be allowed.

He said that, as the protection of the interests of the public and the patients was most important than the manufacturing units, disciplinary actions would be taken against any manufacturing units failing to comply with the set norms.

He said that the government had also issued strict instructions to make batch-wide checking of exporting ayurvedic drugs and medicines a month back to check the heavy metal contents which could be extended to all other ayurvedic products in near future.

Prakash also cautioned that the alopathy drug manufacturing lobby controlled by multi-national companies (MNCS) who were able control the government were trying to stall the growing market demand for ayurvedic products even in the developed nations like United States and Europe through creating opinions to their advantages through their money power.

In this "grave" situation, he said that as the demand for ayurvedic medicines was growing in the international market, there was great need for manufacturing units to maintain quality. (Agencies)Published: Saturday, November 12, 2005Chennai Interactive Business Services (P) Ltd.